Apparatus for the manufacture of ceramic tiles



Oct. .20, 1925.

' y A. HENROZ APZARATUS FOR THE IANUFACTURE OF CERAMIC TILES Filed Oct. 5, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 v w fie Zia/L005 60/6406 4 embers rvdpaea/ fiffar y Oct 20, 1925- 1.557335 A. HENROZ APPARATUS FOR THE umumc'runs or cmmu c nus Filed Oct. 5, 1921. 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. HENROZ APPARATUS FOR THE IANUFACTURE 0F CERAMIC TILES .Filed Oct. 5,1921 4 sneezs-esnaat :s

A. HENROZ APPARATUS ron 'rnz manna-run! or csluuuc Hus Filed Oct. 5, 1921 l Sl'uaets--$heet 4 5* 2E an f/forn Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR HENRoz, OF BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CERAMIC TILES.

Application filed October 5, 1921. Serial No. 505,472.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR HnNRoz, a subject of the King of Belgium, and resident of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Ceramic Tiles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, ,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked therein, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the manufacture of ornamental ceramic tiles, in which the moulds are mounted on a circular table rotated intermittently for the purpose of bringing them successively in line with the various mechanisms or devices for effecting each of the known operations involved in the production of ornamental tiles.

An apparatus of the type referred to is shown and described in my prior U. S. Patent, No. 1,192,630, granted July 25, 1916, to which reference may be had for a further understanding of certain featureswhich are only incidentally mentioned herein and which, in themselves, constitute no part of this invention.

The invention relates especially to apparatus of the kind in which a distributing device for the colour is used for each different colour so as to obtain greater accuracy in the design. I

Apparatus of this kind comprises principally: y

1. A mechanism for screening the'colouring material and feeding it on to the counterpattern. I

2. A mechanism for bringing the counterpattern under the screening mechanism above mentioned and for reversing the counter-pattern after it'has been'supplied with a quantity of colouring matter in order to remove the excess colouring matter from it.

3. A mechanism for lifting the finished tile from the circular table and placing it on a conveyor leading it to the storehouses.

The present invention relates to the particular actuating and controlling devices for 5 each of the above mentioned mechanisms.

Considering first the screening mechanism effecting the feed of the colour to the counter-pattern, the screen, the strainer is shaken by the sudden movements of a piston or hammer carried by the screen, the movements being effected according to the invention by the action of a fluid under pressure, as for example compressed air.

Considering next the operating mechanism controlling the horizontal movements and thereversingof the counter-pattern from its position under the screen up to and includng the position where it is to be reversed 1n order to remove the excesscolouring material from it, the movements according to the lnvention are effected by means of a piston operated by a fluid under pressure and adapted to push the pattern member along two suitable grooves disposed in the extension of the piston. I a

In order to keep the countcr-pattern stationary during the time required for the screening of a suitable quantity of colour which 1t is to receive by bringing it against the mould, the counter-pattern is, according to the invention, ca-used to move downwards so that its two pivots are brought into notches disposed in the lower portion of the two grooves.

WVhen the mould has received the determined quantity ofcolour, the counter-pattern must beraised from the notches so that 1t may continue its motion. i

This lifting is effectedby two suitable levers, the ends of which at the required moment are brought into position underneaththe counter-pattern in order to'lift it. In order to lift the finished tile from the circular table and place it on a conveyor, the

invention provides a device comprising a frame which can pivot on one of its sides through a certain angle and on which are dlsposed the jaws for gripping the tile, the movements of the jaws being effected at determined intervals when abutment members provided for this purpose come into contact with a bar rigid with the jaws and free to pivot on the frame. v a i The accompanying drawings show byway of example one' form of construction according to the invention.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the whole of the apparatus showing the variousmechanisms according to the invention.-

broken away showing the reversing mecha- Figure 2 is a perspective View partly nism of the counter-pattern.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view partly broken away of the; counter-pattern. at the moment of reversing.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective partly" in section showing the screening device.

Figure 5 is a perspective view partly hrh hs a ay t the rheuma ic hamme hret he" this st ss Fiest 6 s thag a hma ih pe specti e new i the, de i e i t di ribution. of he? id hat? Plies/ hrenew T is persretti e iew partly blQkglh away hfhh mhhheh m' fo in the tile from the circular F hts shews the iftingv mechanis in her pqsitieh- Figure 9 st. dsthilyihw f part: f the ,h ihshiechahi h prov di g tw n m uld b ath Which f a hh h the lh hher d scr b d h y hforesaicl p wn V V l a The turiiih Qithh P l Wlllch QnSt1 tu es t ahlh af emeh hh d r n h moulds successively line with the, various mech ni ms or ca ryi g ut h di ie t operations required for the ma iufacture of h v le. Thes p r tions h hr sh the pla ihghf he h tteiih m ber r h i in he mould mahua ly hy th rkmh h movingofa counterpattern over the mould; the. su essiv d posi io t h r us c o ursby screening; the removal of-the excess about; h remova lso by d. of the st n and the r tsi ati r m the mould and final removal ofthe finished tile.

Tl e"stencils consist of vertical walls 127 (Fi -ll). h ar p a e in, he hottom'ef he met ds if 2tt the. hea h e the y l hf rhratiths- Th i fh t i h'is to prevent i ih' 'Qf he thl htit ic artdischerged into the moulds from the different hoppers 14 a hopper and its associated counterpattern 2'? being utilized for each; separate colour, the different colours. being fed Successively to the moulds. In each'case, the 910 discharged from h opp r d the sem Halls up n he t i h r 2 which latter consists of; a frame providing two compartments disposed side side; the bottom of each compartment" being rme by a, plat 28; (F haying apertures through which the colouring mate- These aperrial can fall into the mould.

t-urcs are differently arranged in each counter-pattern, so as to. form a design which corresponds, for any particular colour, to the outline which the portion coloured by that colour must have, on the tile. When the several colours have been deposited, the stenoils can be removed by the workman and 1 the body material i. e., the material forming the body of the tile-then introduced into the mould and compressed.

QQhside hs the screening device his l6$- t, ahdt 6), e u der Pr u coming from a compressor passes through a t le to and nter he y i d of e pneumatic hammer through the tubular member 1'', Where it acts at the same time on both faces of a flange or collar on the fr nt e d. o he p ston 5 't h m mechanism, on the one handonthe rear face 7 directly and on the other hand on the front face 3 through the orifice 4. But as the surface area ofthe rear face? is smaller than the front face 3, the'piston 5; is moved in the direction of the arrow, Figure 5-, until the orifice 4c coincides with the escape orifice 6, At this moment the front face 3 ofthe piston being no longer subjected to the pres sure ofthehuid owing to the communication of the face 3 with the outer air, the fiuidpressure which continues to act on the rear face 7 will move the piston 5 in the opposite direction. I When the piston has returned to its initial position, the fluid under pressure again operates on the front face?) ofthe collar on the piston in order to recommence the same operation as above and so to. shake the-screen 7 to which the cylinder 2 0f the pneumatic hammer is, connected, the successive shock-s causing the colouring'matter'to fall on, the counter pattern disposed under the screen.

It is to be noted that the piston does not come into contactwith the screen to shake it, but that the shocks producing the'movement of the screen are caused by the movements ofthe piston in its cylinder.

In order to facilitate the movements of thescreen 7, this latter (see Figure 4:) carries on its side opposite to the hammer, two pins 12 (only one of which appears)- encircled by springs '10, which bear on the one hand against the screen 7 and on the other hand against two supports 8 secured to the body of the hopper letwhich is superposed on the screen.

Each hopper 14 is closed by-two plates 15, 16 formedwith openings 26von which rests the colouring material. The-lower plate 15 is rigid and rests on two angle pieces l 7, 18, whilst the upper plate 16 is movable and can be moved at the same time as the screen 7 in a slot 19 disposed in oneof the sides-of the hopper. For this purpose, the movable plate 16-has two springs (only onebeing illustrated), bear-ing against its side and held in position by two supports 22, having pins 24, disposed near the slot 19. \Vhen not in operation the openings 26 of the plates are out of register. This arrangement allows the material in the openings 26 of the movable upper plate 16 to fall down during the movements of that damper, into the openings of the fixed plate 15, from which the material falls on to the screen. As a result of this the quantity of colouring material to be admitted to the mould frame can be adjusted, by regulating the rate of movement of the screen. This adjustment is necessary principally in order to take account of the more of less pasty condition of the colour.

A counter-pattern 27' is disposed under each of these screens (see Fig. 2) and is adapted to be moved under the influence'of a fluid under pressure. The counter-pattern 27- is initially disposed next to the member 28 connecting the two grooved guides 29 and 30; and through the centre of this member a rod 13 which forms an extension of the difi'erential piston 32 .is adapted to move. The counter-pattern 27 is secured to the rod 31 by means of a yoke 33 provided with projections 34 on its arms to slide in the two guides 29 and 30. To enable its reversal, the counter-pattern is pivotally mounted in the yoke 33; and for that purpose, its opposite ends are provided with slide blocks 37 of suitable shape to fit in the above-mentioned grooves in said guides. These blocks 37 extend through openings in the enlarged terminals 44, of the yokearms, which openings are elliptical in shape, the major axis being vertical.

In order to keep the counter-pattern stationary under the screen duringthe time required for screening by bringing it against the mould, notches 42, 43 are formed in the lower portion of the guides 29, 30 in which are disposed the iii-turned lower ends 46 and 47 of a. pair of levers 48, 49. The said notches open into the grooves in the guides 29, 30 so that when the yoke and counterpattern, in their travel, reach a point where the blocks 37 are directly above said notches, the counter-pattern will drop slightly, due to the shape of the openings in the terminals 44, 45 of the yoke arms, and the said blocks will then rest upon the lever ends 46, 47. Vhen the counterpattern 27 has received its quantity of colouring material, it is raised by the levers 48, 49 which lift it upward by means of its blocks 37 until said blocks are once more in line with the guide grooves, whereupon thecounter-pattern and yoke can continue their travel.

. The levers 48 and 49 are fulcrumed near their centres on the guides 29 and 30 and are provided with rollers 54, at their ends for co-action with the operating cams 50, 51, secured to the shaft 53.

These rollers 54 and 55 are to insure contact between the cams 50 and 51 and the levers 48 and 49, whilst diminishing the'friction between these members by substituting a rolling contact for a sliding contact. Y

The greatest part of the colouredmaterial discharged from' the screen 7 falls on apertured plates (not shown) which form the bottom of the counter-pattern 27, and passes through the apertures into the moulds 6. But since the said plates'are only perforated in accordance with a definite design corresponding to the coloured design to be produced on the tile for the particular colour deposited by the screen in question, a certain amount of the coloured material will remain on the plates after the passage of the required quantity into the moulds. This excess material must be removed after each operation, in order to prevent it fromaccumulating and changing the amount of colour deposited by the plates during the succeeding operations. To efiect such removal, the counter-pattern is simply inverted, and the material then falls off by the mere action of gravity.

In order to invert the counter-pattern as soon as it has reached the enlargements 36 at the end of the guides 29 and 30, the slide blocks 37 on the counter-pattern 27 are designed to enter the'orifices of the disks 38 (only one of which is shown) which fit rotatably in circular sockets in said enlargements 36. The rear face of the disk 38 is provided for this purpose with a toothed wheel 39 which gears with the teeth of the rack 40 formed as an extension of the piston 41.

When the-counter-pattern 27 is to be inverted the rack 40 pushed by the piston 41, descends and-causesthe counter-pattern 27 to turn through an angle of 180, the fluid under pressure, for this purpose, acting on the front face of the piston 41. p

It is to be noted that the slide-blocks 37 besides serving to invert the counter-pattern, also serve to hold the said pattern member in its horizontal position during its longitudinal movement owing to the shape of the blocks.

It is'to be notedalso that when thedisk 38 disposed at the end of the guide 30 is not in contact with the counter-pattern 27, its centre of gravity owing to the groove formed in the disk tends to cause it to oscillate which would prevent the reversing of the counter-pattern from being-carried out. To remedy this, the disk is held in its operative position by means of a sliding block 56 disposed in the lower portion of the guide 30as shownin Figure 2. The block 5,6'hals a depending stem which is housed inasleeve secured to the under face of, said guide and is acted'upon by a spring 57 bearing at one end against the bottom of thesleeve and at the other end against the lower end of the block, Owing to the action of the spring the block rests in a small conical orifice disposed in the lower portion of the jaw in its normal position and during the reversing, the block can easily slide out of the conical orifice owing to the inclined surfaces formed by the conical members in contact, when the jaw 38 ismoved.

Q As the movements of the counter-pattern 27 are controlled by the differential pistons 32; and 41., it follows that in order to return the counter-patternto its initial position, it is sufficient to relieve at a given moment the pressure acting on the front faces of said pistons so that the pressure acting upon their rear faces moves back the pistons into their starting position.

For this purpose (see Figure the fluid under pressure coming from a holder, passes through, a single air regulator 107 to a central receiving and distributing reservoir or tank 108 disposed at equal distances from the cylinders ofthe differential pistons 32, 32, 32" operating the counter-pattern in their longitudinal movements, the fluid acting upon the front faces of the pistons. A second central receiving and distributing reservoir or tank 109 disposed at equal distances from the cylinders of the differential pistons 41, 41, 41"'which operate the counter-patterns during reversing, receives the fluid under pressure from another regulator 1 10 and conducts it to the front faces of the pistons,- which have a smaller section than the front faces are connected to the same pipe 111 in which a constant pressure is maintained and which is in communication withthe two regulators.-107 and 110. When the various col ours to be applied to the surface of the tile have been discharged successively from the hoppers 14 through the counter-patterns 27 into the moulds 6, the stencils which serve to prevent the colours from mixing can then be removed. The material constituting the body. of the tile is then fed into the moulds from a hopper (not shown), as in the earlia er or patented construction; the table continues its rotary movement and the moulds are brought to a stop directly beneaththe presser plates of a suitable press, such as the one shown diagrammatically at the bottom of Fig. 1 which is thereupon operated. At the completion of the operation, the presser-plates are raised and the table again starts to turn. During this movement the tiles are ejected in any preferred manner from the moulds as by raising the movable mould bottoms. The tiles are thus brought to a position above the table and from then onare-subjected to the action of the lifting mechanism represented in Figs. 7 9.

This mechanism, as shown in Fig. 7, comprises a frame formed by two arms 58 and The rear faces of all the pistons 59 connected on the one hand bya shaft 60 on which they are rigidly mounted and on the other hand by a shaft 61 around which can pivot two. stirrups 112 and 113 provided with suitable ledges 114 and 1. 5 against which the tile to be lifted can bear. At the ends of the two arms 58 and 59and near the shaft 6.0 are provided crank levers 62 and 63. The levers 62 and 63 can pivot at 65 and 64 and are connected by the bar 66, whilst connecting rods 69 and 70 operating the jaws 71 and 72 to grip the completed tiles, are pivotally mounted on the levers 62 and 63 at 67 and 68- The two arms 58 and 59 are connected centrally by the cross-bar 73 on which is disposed the auxiliary arm 74. i A rod 75 is secured to a projection onthe end of the auxiliary arm 74 and from this rod are hung springs 76 and 77 supporting the stirrups 112 and 113 when the lifting frame is moved angularly. Further, at the lower end of the auxiliary arm 74 and on each side thereof is disposed one of two rigid jaws and 85.

In order to move the frame, the shaft 60 which is supported in the bearings. 78 and 79, is connected to the connecting rod 82 of a motor by means of the crank 80 which is provided with acount-er poise 81.

The finished tiles 83 and 84 resting on the circular table on being brought in front of the lifting mechanism, are gripped by. the jaws 71 and 72, 85 and 85 which close at the moment when the bar 66 meets the projecting member, 86 which is suitably disposed for this purpose, thereby rocking the bell cranks 62, 63, which,.in turn, move the connecting rods 69, 70 to actuate said jaws.

The movements of the jaws are efi'ected in the following manner (see Figure 9).

Each, of the arms 58 and 59 of the lifting frame is formed at one end with two open.- ings into which enter two bolts 96 and. 97 attached to the corresponding movable jaw 71. or 72. Two springs-.99 and 100 surround the bolts and bear on the one hand against the jaw 71 (in the case of arm 58, Fig. 9) and on the other hand against the arm 58; At the ends of the bolts are disposed two nuts 101, 102 with conical faces and held by lock-nuts 103, 104. These nuts 101 and 102 are housed in conical recesses 107 and 108 formed in the bar 105 which is dis posed against the arm above mentioned. The bar 105 is connected to the rod or lever 69 by means of a screw 106 and can be moved through a limited distance against the arm owing. to the inclination of the conical part of the nuts 101, 102'and of the recesses 107, 108 in the bar. It is obvious that this sliding movement of thebar produces an outward movementiof the bolts 96, 97 and, hence,-a transversal movement of the jaws 71. Directly the tiles are gripped greater area.

itoccupies the position shown in Figure 8 i. e. near the inclined chute 87.

At this moment the stirrups 112 and 11 3 which at first rest on the tiles 83 and 84 (see Figure 7 )are reversed owing to their contactwith the rollers 88 and 89 disposed at the upper ends of the two supports 90 and 91 situated in front of the chute 87.

The ledges 114 and 115 serve tohold the tiles on the stirrups 112 and 118 and to prevent them from sliding forward during the turning movement of the stirrups around the shaft 61, as during this movement the tiles are no longer gripped by the jaws, these latter having been opened some moments before When the bar 66 has come into contact with the abutment 92 acted upon by a spring 93. This spring 93 is of such a strength that its tension holds the abutment 9:2 rigidly during the time required for the jaws to open, while compression of the spring is effected during the time required for the turning of the stirrups around the shaft 61 up to the moment when the tiles 88 and 84 being free, can slide on to the inclined chute 87 which is provided with a rib to separate the tiles. The tiles reaching the drum conveyor 94 are conducted to the storehouses made for this purpose.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In apparatus for manufacturing cee ramic tiles, the combinationof a hopper; a

movable strainer therebeneath; and aide- .vice connected to the strainer to impart a succession of sudden shocks or vibrations thereto, said device comprising a differen tial piston having working surfaces ofunequal areas, and a distributor for automatically supplying a fluid under pressurev to act constantly upon the surface of smaller area and intermittently upon the surface of 2. In apparatus for manufacturing ceramic tiles, the combination of a hopper; a movable strainer therebeneath; and a device for imparting a succession of sudden shocks or vibrations to the strainer, said device comprising a cylinder connected to the strainer, and a piston in said cylinder operable by the action of a fluid under pressure but prevented from coming into actual contact with the strainer.

In apparatus for manufacturing ceramic tiles, the combination of a hopper; a

movable strainer therebeneath; and a de-' equal areas, and a distributor for automatically supplying a fluid under pressure to act constantly upon the surface of smaller area and intermittently upon the surface of greater area and to prevent the piston from coming into actual contact with the strainer. .4r-pIn apparatus for; manufacturing ce ramicftiles, the combinationv of a movable strainer; a device for rapidly vibrating the strainer; a pattern" member movable be-. neath the strainer to receive coloring material. therefrom; and a difierential, fiullde operated piston connected to invertthe pattern member after it has receiveda quan tity of coloring. material, said piston having working surfaces of unequal areas, against the smaller of which surfaces'the operating fluid constantly acts. I v

5. In apparatus for manufacturing, ce ramic tiles, the combination ofja'longitu dinally-movable pattern 1 member; {and means for automatically reversing said memberat a predetermined point in its travel, comprising a pair of rotatable disks engageable with the member at opposite sides thereof, and a fluidoperated pistonv connected to rotate one oflsaid disks' 6. In apparatus for manufacturingffce.

" guides and having apertures normally in register with the guide grooves to receive said projections when the mould frame moves toaf predetermined position;fand

means connected to rotate said disks thereby reversesaid member.

7. In apparatus for v manufacturing ceramic tiles, the combination ofa pair of spaced guides having longitudinal grooves in their inner faces; a longitudinally-movablepattern member having lateral projections enga'ge'able in said grooves; rotatable disks mounted opposite each other in said guides and having apertures normally in register with the guide grooves to receive said projections when the pattern member moves to. a predetermined "position; a spring-actuated detent for normally holdin one disk with' its aperture in registerwiti the corresponding guide groove; and mechanism connected to the other disk tenormally "hold it in the same position with re lation tothe other guide groove and to positivelyrotate said other disk-and thereby reverse the pattern member.

8. In apparatus for manufacturing ceramic tiles, the combination of a pair of spaced guides having longitudinal grooves in their inner. faces; a longitudinally-movable pattern member having lateral projections engageable in said grooves; rotatable disks mounted opposite each other in and 

